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Mvp and Violet destroy IEM Group B

Group B's matches put an end to the second playday of IEM Gamescom. Koreans did better this time and Mvp and Violet walked out as the top two, followed by Empire's Kas.

The afternoon of Day 2 at Gamescom began with a good jump for the IM machines NesTea and Mvp. After a sparring between themselves in the opening match, both went on to kick some more ass - both Korean and foreign of skin - to end up having three wins a piece at one point of time.

Mvp was joined in the Korean supremacy by Violet who was very consistent and after dropping just one game to NesTea, it seemed that it would be a Korean trio graduating from Group B. The only thing left was for NesTea to beat Kas and the Eastern hegemony would be complete.

A malchance for the zerg and as he would be defeated by mass ravens for the second time today, giving his place to the Ukrainian.

Game 1: METROPOLIS A lengthy game where NesTea seemed to throw away an early lead. The game dragged on for a long time, but Kas' mass Ravens were just too strong in such a scrappy affair. On the other stream, MVP wins 2-0 against Feast.

Game 2: ATLANTIS SPACESHIP Kas shocks NesTea, who threw away another lead. Another unusual composition ended the game for the Ukrainian, but 15+ Thors are pretty difficult to stop apparently.

18:40 CET - NesTea 2-1 Feast

Game 1: DAYBREAK It's a base race time for the citizens of Daybreak. The flying mutalisk armada of the evil zerg emperor PalpaTean and the honorable forces of the Belgium Alliance are at each other's throats, both desperately sprinting towards an early lead in this warfare. But just like many times before, the Alliance is reminded the simple rule of inter-galactic combat: do not base race against mutas. Ever.

Game 2: CLOUD KINGDOM Unusual game where income levels fluctuate a lot. Neither player able to take a huge advantage as we head into the late game, despite some body blows to both economies. Feast flanks with stalkers and takes out all the broodlords and eventually ends this crazy game a few moments later.

Game 3: METROPOLIS Feast goes for a +1 blink timing attack but gets scouted by NesTea. The Zerg burrows roaches at his natural and digs them up exactly as Feast walks over them. Meanwhile, a squad of roaches and lings attacks the front of Feasts's base, forcing him to gg.

18:35 CET - Kas 2-0 PiG

Game 1: OHANA Kas opens with a blue flame hellion drop and starts beating zerg down in a game that was much alike that of Mvp vs PiG from earlier. A transition into full mech is too much for PiG to handle and the Australian is now just one game away from a 0-4 in series.

Game 2: CLOUD KINGDOM Kas takes a lead after a fight that led to him taking down PiG's fourth. Kas' marine/tank army is so strong that he can afford to build more-or-less every upgrade available. PiG transitions into ultras but way too far behind already, 2-0 Kas.

Meet Australian's hope and the guest caster for IEM Day one Moonglade as he talks to Cadred's Richard Lewis.

17:35 CET - Feast 2-1 Feast

Game 1: METROPOLIS A slow, methodical 2-base push from Feast - in the center of which resided 10 sentries - forced Violet more and more into his own territory. Feast used a succession of forcefield walls to pick up whatever units he can, thus coming quite a lot ahead when he eventually runs out of energy. At that time, Violet's army is so small that Feast feels that he's allowed to be a bit more aggressive and shows off his signature blink micro for the 1-0.

Game 2: DAYBREAK Feast tempo in the early game is good as he delays the fourth of Violet and gears up for a follow-up push but just being slightly out of position costs him too much. Not having the weaker army anymore, Violet takes five bases, techs to brood lords/infestor and sets his sight on Feast's fourth base. After the first few blows, Violet is forced to pull back for a while as he cannot efficiently drill through the remaining colossi and stalkers but as his reinforcements hit, it's lights out for the protoss.

Game 3: CLOUD KINGDOM "I feel protoss so imba" said Violet after the end of 5-minute long battle that began with a 2-base immortal push, developed into some flamboyant immortal prism micro, went through some flacks and back-and-forth tug of war and ended with Violet's persistence prevailing in the name of zerg's common good!

17:00 CET - Nestea 2-0 Violet

Game 1: DAYBREAK NesTea gets an early game advantage as a speedling raid dances around Violet's banelings to kill two queens and cripple the macro of the AZUBU zerg. Once he is stable, Violet transitions to a roach/infestor and takes a third but NesTea hits with the somewhat updated although still highly effective roach/hydra timing. After the smoke from the battle at Violet's third clears, NesTea is 70 supply and one game ahead.

Game 2: OHANA Violet goes for spire after the initial punches but this tech is shut down and the two zergs enter a stalemate of constant engagements without a victor. Eventually, a base race ensues and NesTea build a spine crawler wall to block Violet's army away from his main while at the same time cleans everything of his opponent for the 2-0.

16:55 CET - Mvp 2-0 PiG

Game 1: OHANA Mvp proves that he doesn't need more than ten units to win a TvZ and a hellion/banshee combination strips PiG to laughable amount of workers. A small mech follow up is the final nail to the coffin and PiG gg's out.

Game 2: ANTIGA SHIPYARD After the initial hellion harass is denied, Mvp is in a bit of a supply disadvantage but that only lasts until he starts some real attacking. PiG's brood lords come a bit too late and zerg's passivity accomplishes nothing besides letting Mvp do whatever he wants. The Korea takes his second win in the group.

16:20 CET @ IEM Cologne Coverage Hub
Do you like pictures? Silly question, of course you do! Head out to our coverage hub as we've just uploaded some photos from day two at IEM Cologne. With that, our gallery for the event has grown to almost 80 photos... And we're just in the middle of day two!!

15:52 CET - Mvp 2-0 NesTea

Game 1: CLOUD KINGDOM Mvp goes mech, NesTea decides to counter this with a massive roach drop play. Overlord fly over to Mvp's base but a perfect scan spots that and Mvp pulls workers to auto repair and not lose any army. The sad reality is, however, that as a result he is 38 workers behind. Fortunately, those are more easy to replenish than mech. Mvp seizes this window of opportunity and pushes with full force. The workers at two of zerg's bases evaporate. By the time NesTea manages to muster whatever brood lords he has and move out, Mvp already has an abundance of vikings and cleans it all up.

Game 2: METROPOLIS Mvp opens bio harass but as this is Metropolis - the map of the long games and flashy endings - he starts switching to air terran and massing ravens. NesTea, on the other hand, keeps it within standard frames and chillingly moves out with a Brood Lord army. Mvp greets it with mass seeker missiles straight into the heart of the flock and NesTea evaporates with a "gg" on his lips.